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Lisa Marshall, Wisconsin Department of Tourism 608-267-3773, [email protected]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FINDING OLYMPIC GOLD IN WISCONSIN From curling to figure skating, Wisconsin has Olympic fever

MADISON, Wis. (Feb. 12, 2014) – Can’t make the 5,613-mile journey to Sochi, Russia for this year’s Winter Olympics? Wisconsin is host to dozens of premier Olympic-style and world- championship events and attractions for you to get your competitive fix. With top-notch locations, facilities and events, here’s your chance to play where the Olympians play.

WINTER OLYMPICS Whether you want to slap a puck around the ice for fun, or take on a new competitive hobby, the following winter Olympic style activities are fun for all ages. And while the current Olympic athletes are in Russia, don’t be surprised to see some previous ones; they train along side the rest of us.

Official Olympic Training Center in Wisconsin? You bet.

Not many people realize that Wisconsin is home to an Olympic training center. The Pettit National Ice Center opened in 1992 and hosts athletes from around the world for training.

The Pettit is the only indoor sea-level oval in the U.S. available for our country’s athletes, which meant that it was the place to prepare for this year’s in Sochi (which is also a sea level location). At least one speed skater from Wisconsin has been in each winter U.S. Olympic Team since 1932. This year, the five U.S. Olympic athletes to train at the Pettit were Brian Hansen, , Jill Rookard, Jonathan Kuck and Emery Lehman. All athletes are medalists from the 2010 Olympics, except for Lehman who is a first-timer this year.

The Pettit is a community facility offering a variety of ice- related activities. Ever see a figure skater do a biellmann spin or cantilever and think, if only I could do that? Well, Speed Skaters training at the Pettit National Ice Center the Pettit offers both youth and adult figure skating Courtesy of the Pettit lessons. And for those looking to enjoy a faceoff or two, the Pettit offers hockey leagues for all age ranges. Want to feel the wind at your face? Come during open hours. Or, bring the whole family down for a fun afternoon during public skate hours.

Rocks and brooms and curling, oh my!

Sweeping up quite a few of the spots on the U.S. Olympic curling team, athletes with Wisconsin ties aren’t hard to find in this year’s Sochi Olympics. Though if you’re planning on staying in- state for the games, brooms and stones can be found at several of this sport’s clubs throughout Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin curlers on Team U.S.A. train right in their hometown clubs and even compete locally throughout the year. Four-time Olympic athlete, Debbie McCormick, from Rio, Wis. spends her time training and volunteering at the Pardeeville Curling Club in Pardeeville, Wis. The Madison Curling Club has a sibling competition on its hands as it cheers on Madison-native siblings Craig and Erika Brown, both on Team U.S.A in Sochi. Inspired by their talents? Don’t miss the Madison Curling Club’s Olympic Curling Open House on February 22, where beginners get on-ice instructions on curling. All you need is a pair of comfy, clean shoes and warm clothes – all equipment is provided. Learn how to skillfully slide 40-pound granite stones across a sheet of ice, trying to position them closest to a circular target or “house.” Then pick up a broom and learn how to sweep, altering the ice in front of the stone to best position it. It’s a game of skill and strategy, like chess on ice.

Mighty Ducks Part IV?

Commonly considered one of the most intense sports in the Olympic games, hockey is high energy and with numerous ice rinks holding open skate throughout the state, it is easy to meet at center ice for your own taste of competition.

Lace up and visit the newly opened Sun Prairie Ice Arena, just 15 minutes from the hometown of Team U.S.A. goaltender Jessica Vetter from Cottage Grove. The facility opened in January and features two NHL-sized rink surfaces, one with seating for 1,100 and the other for 600 spectators. Sun Prairie Ice Arena also provides year-round community recreation including skating classes, hockey leagues and is available for rentals. Sorry, no Zamboni rides.

For beginners or anyone just looking to try something new, the Greenheck Field House in Weston has an indoor, Olympic-sized rink for hockey, figure skating and open skate. For the little ones, skating aids are available free of charge, and give your first timers an extra hand and something for extra balance while on the ice. Interested in joining a league? Greenheck offers hockey leagues and is also the home of the Central Wisconsin Speed Skating Club.

Rather cheer than lace up skates? Take a trip to the BMO Harris Bradley Center to watch the AHL Milwaukee Admirals hockey team or to the Resch Center to see the junior league Green Bay Gamblers. Both teams have several former or current players competing in this year’s Olympics in Sochi, including Dan Hamhuis, Roman Josi, Simon Moser, Peter Olvecky, Oliver Setzinger, Antti Pihlstrom, Alexander Radulov, Ryan Suter, Kimmo Timonen, Shea Weber and Blake Wheeler, just to name a few.

Pre-historic skiing in 2014

Cross-country skiing is one of the oldest sports known to man. In fact, it originated in early Scandinavian countries during prehistoric times. That’s right, we’re talking around the same period as Stonehenge.

While this year’s U.S. athletes will be competing in Russia for gold medals, Wisconsin has its very own championship cross-country ski race that will literally bring in athletes from around the world: the American Birkebeiner. The Birkie is the nation’s largest and most prestigious cross- country ski marathon, stretching approximately 50K from Cable to Hayward. This year, the event takes place Feb. 20-23. In the days leading up to the 50K and the shorter race options of the Kortelopet 23K and the Prince Haakon 13K, the Birkebeiner holds a variety of other events including short distance races, the Barkie Birkie Skijor (skiing pulled by your dog), a giant ski, a family fun ski and much more.

Wisconsin is also proud to host the 2015 International Paralympics Nordic Ski World Championship in Cable. Held Jan. 21- Feb. 2, 2015 on the same, impeccably groomed trails as the American Birkebeiner, this will be the first IPC World Championship in the U.S. in nearly a decade and the first ever in Wisconsin.

SUMMER OLYMPICS

All this talk of the Olympics already has us thinking about the summer, and Wisconsin’s own summer sports and competitive events will be here before we know it.

Archery, bowling and Ultimate Frisbee? Three words: Badger State Games.

Wisconsin’s very own Olympics are the Badger State Games, inviting athletes from around the state and the Midwest to compete. The summer games will take place June 14-29 in Madison, Wis.

The best part about the games is that they are open to athletes of all ages, with varying age groups for each event. Events include archery, bowling, disc golf, golf, martial arts, soccer, swimming, track and field, ultimate Frisbee and wrestling. Sounds like fun to us!

Pull!

Often thought of as just a fun Wisconsin tradition, trapshooting is actually an Olympic sport, and brings shooting clay pigeons to a whole new level of competition. Just ask Michael McPhail who earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Trapshooting Team after earning his license and training to bird hunt and shoot as a teenager in Darlington, Wis.

The Wisconsin Trapshooting Association was organized in 1899 to support the sport throughout the state and to hold the Wisconsin State Shoot. Held in July, the Wisconsin State Shoot gathers shooters from throughout the nation to participate in trapshooting, a 5-man Team Shoot, as well as mentoring youth shooters with an emphasis on gun safety. This year marks the 115th anniversary of this event, which is open to any member of the Amateur Trapshooting Association and open to the public to watch.

During the colder seasons, visit one of the state’s many indoor shooting ranges to learn all about the sport, receive safety information and to work on your aim before trapshooting season arrives. This list of ranges is available on the Wisconsin DNR website.

Pedal(s) to the Medal

Riding cliff-side, cruising wide-open country roads, and dodging pines in a 1.5 million acre forest – this is Wisconsin biking. And our state’s bicycling options are some of the best in the country, from road to mounting biking, and everything in between. In fact, Madison and other parts of Dane County were some of the proposed locales for Chicago’s bid in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Cycling Olympic-style events throughout the state include the Nature Valley Menomonie and Gran Fondo Rides in Menomonie (June 15) and the Horrible Hilly Hundreds in Blue Mounds (June 14). All known for their intense lengths and painfully fun routes, these events are some of the toughest – yet most exciting – that the state has to offer.

If you’re looking to bike, but aren’t looking for sore legs, there are several trails throughout the state that offer relaxing routes with less challenging terrains. The Cycle Southwest Wisconsin bike trail in the Driftless Region offers 28 total loops. The Great River Road offers trails Horrible Hilly Hundreds Bike Race in Blue Mounds Courtesy of Horrible Hilly Hundreds along the scenic Mississippi River, or check out the Elroy Sparta Trail, the first “rails-to-trails” in the state, with old train tracks converted into bike trails.

Travelers looking for year-round Wisconsin getaway ideas, travel planning, events and free guides can discover their own fun at TravelWisconsin.com. You can also choose to “Like” us at Facebook.com/TravelWisconsin, follow along on Twitter at Twitter.com/TravelWI and find us on Pinterest.com/TravelWisconsin. And don’t forget to bring all the fun Wisconsin has to offer right to your fingertips by downloading the free Travel Wisconsin™ iPhone or Android app.

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